On Saturday I preached on Mark 4:1-20 and the parables of the soils. Here is how I tried to explain what is arguably the hardest truth found in Mark’s gospel:

Mark 4:10 says, “those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.” Jesus had already mentioned the parable of the soils, but the plural use of parables here indicates there were others he mentioned. These followers are apparently confused why Jesus speaks in figurative language, they seem to say, “Why not speak plainly Jesus? You’re confusing everyone.” Jesus replies in 4:11-12, “And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, ¹² so that

“they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

One commentator says of 4:11-12, “These verses are among the most difficult in the entire gospel.” ¹ Careful attention needs to be given to this passage as it is paradigmatic for all Jesus’ teaching in the gospel. 4:11 says the disciples have received “the secret of the kingdom of God.” But, Jesus says, “for those outside everything is in parables.” Some people understand His preaching and others don’t. We all understand that reality, but the difficulty is found in 4:12’s purpose clause where Jesus says, “I speak in parables so that those outside will not understand lest they should turn and be forgiven.” Jesus apparently speaks in spiritual code to make sure the hardened sinner will not repent of his sin. A difficult truth no doubt. Note that Jesus is quoting a passage, specifically Isaiah 6:9; so we need to understand Isaiah 6 if we are to truly understand Mark 4.

Isaiah 6 is Isaiah’s commissioning service as a prophet, as he sees the holy God lifted up on His throne and surrounded by the seraphim. Isaiah is told by God to take to the people a message that will cause rejection from the hardened nation of Israel. “Preach the gospel so that their hearts will reject me and I will bring upon them the judgment they deserve.” Jesus sees the exact same thing going on in Mark 4: like ancient Israel, the people see God’s work in Jesus but fail to perceive it. They hear the words of Jesus but fail to understand them.  Now Matthew 13 sees the parables as a response to hardened hearts and Mark 5 sees the parables as the cause of hardened hearts. Although the two seem in tension with one another, they are both right: parables are the response to and cause of hardened hearts.

The best way I can illustrate it is through what Exodus tells us about Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt. We are told that he hardened his heart, but also that God hardened his heart in judgment in order that the entire world would know He alone is God. We have to acknowledge that the biblical writers do not appear to have the tension we do with these realities. He hardened his heart and God hardened his heart. They hardened their heart and God hardened their heart. It is one of those occasions where we have to place our hand over any sinful objections that would come from our our mouth and say, “Lord I am not sure how this works out, but I trust it’s true because it’s in your word.”

So then the purpose of parables is to reveal the truth to humble hearts and conceal the truth from hard hearts. The word of Jesus will either harden or humble your heart. The purpose’s difficulty need not cause us to miss two glorious truths about the kingdom revealed through parables.

First, receiving the kingdom rests on God’s generous grace. Did you notice in 4:11 how Jesus said the disciples were given the secret of the kingdom? The secret of the kingdom is what the rest of the New Testament calls the mystery of the gospel, the good news that Jesus came to save sinners. God graciously gives His kingdom to those He calls. We don’t earn or achieve the kingdom, but instead receive it by grace through faith.

Second, advancing the kingdom rests on God’s mysterious providence. The kingdom of Christ is advancing, in mysterious ways. Jesus is calling radically ordinary people; those traditionally assumed to be on the inside are finding themselves on the outside; the kingdom isn’t advancing with bright political banners or military might, it is advancing in the hearts of those who believe. It is an “undercover kingdom” advancing through God’s mysterious providence. It’s a mysterious providence revealed in the power of parables to harden or humble a heart.